The Nantou Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA Nantou), the Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute (TBRI), and the Lalu Hotel Sun Moon Lake held the “From Farm to Table, Safeguarding the Leopard Cat’s Way Home - Leopard Cat-Friendly Farming Week Press Conference” at the hotel’s Lake View Chinese Restaurant this morning (August 12th). The handover of ingredients by local farmers at the event was witnessed by “Ah Hu,” the Formosan leopard cat conservation ambassador. It was then followed by Director General Lin Hwa-Ching of the FANCA and Chairman Lai Cheng-Yi of the Lalu Hotel jointly preparing a special beverage on site, officially kicking off the week-long Leopard Cat-Friendly beverage promotional campaign. It also symbolized the official launch of a sustainable cycle extending from the foothill farmlands to the lakeside dining tables of Sun Moon Lake. Director General Lin stated that the leopard cat is an endangered protected species native to Taiwan, and is mainly distributed in the foothills and rural farming areas of central Taiwan. The species’ habitat highly overlaps with human activities, and it faces risks such as habitat loss and fragmentation as well as conflicts with humans. To balance the three aspects of “production,” “lifestyle,” and “habitat,” the FANCA and the TBRI have been promoting the “Leopard Cat-Friendly Farming” label system since 2014. From 2019, payments for ecosystem services were introduced in partnership with local governments, so as to encourage farmers to adopt vegetation management, cease the use of herbicides, rodenticides, or non-eco-friendly control nets, as well as refrain from feeding stray dogs and cats. All of these efforts strive to create a safe haven for leopard cats and other wildlife. Thanks to the hard work from all sectors, the number of farmers in Nantou participating in the initiative has reached 55, while the total area of environmentally friendly farming has exceeded 99.70 hectares, with an increase of 14.34 hectares in the last two years alone, which has greatly contributed to creating contiguous leopard cat habitats! Four farmers participating in the leopard cat-friendly certification system were invited to the press conference to share their stories from the field: Wu Pi[r1] -Tai, the owner of Zhanggui Orchard, has transformed his lemon orchard using vegetation management techniques; Wu Nian-Ying of Cuilingfeng Mountain Eco-Friendly Farm[r2] secures banana plants through an ingenious use of areca palms in the fields and strictly adheres to zero use of herbicides; Chang Chia-Fang of Ruiqiu Pucha tea farm planted candle bush on the farm to attract natural predators and achieve ecological balance; young farmer representative Chang Keng-Wei of SunShuiLi Aiyu actively implemented non-toxic vegetation management, demonstrating his passion for protecting both the land and leopard cat habitats.The FANCA Nantou collaborated with TBRI and the Lalu Hotel to introduce locally sourced, leopard cat-friendly ingredients from Nantou (including lemons, bananas, aiyu jelly, and premium-quality tea) to gourmet restaurants during the summer peak season, and developed limited-edition summer specialty drinks and desserts. Not only is this an excellent example of enterprises implementing ESG and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM GBF), it also helps farmers expand their sales channels. Travelers can savor the flavors of the ingredients while simultaneously gaining a deeper understanding of the stories behind habitat conservation, thereby establishing a sustainable connection with the concept of “from farm to table” and participating in safeguarding the homeland of leopard cats. The three organizers emphasized that the success of promoting wild animal-friendly farming stems from the joint efforts of the central government, local communities, and academic institutions, as well as the dedication of farmers and the enthusiastic response from the industry. Such cross-domain integration is the cornerstone for achieving “harmonious integration of production, lifestyle, and habitat.” In the future, expanded participation and stronger systems will allow agriculture and conservation to work hand in hand. It is also anticipated that more farmers and local businesses will join the ranks of leopard cat-friendly farming, which will not only enable the development of a more diverse range of agricultural products, but also enhance both product value and consumer interest. This will help farmers cultivate the land with peace-of-mind and focus on its management, working together to balance livelihoods and conservation, so that wildlife such as leopard cats will be able to live freely and sustainably in the homeland we jointly safeguard.
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